A Louisville man fatally shot Tuesday afternoon had recently celebrated his pardon from the governor and had plans of going to law school.

Racynnio Rankin, 36, had served on the state’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Board since 2003 and worked alongside its chairman, Benjamin Deaton, for eight years.

“For someone who has a past, the person does their time but on every job application it haunts them,” Deaton said in an interview Wednesday. “The pardon was a new leaf because he didn’t have to be afraid of it anymore. He could reach for any star he wanted.”

Rankin was one of 201 people to receive pardons from former Gov. Steve Beshear last December, The Courier-Journal previously reported. Beshear said at the time that he accepted pardon requests from some individuals who admitted their mistakes and "highlighted their efforts to stay sober and become productive members of their communities."

Court records show Rankin pleaded guilty as a teenager in 1998 to trafficking cocaine while possessing a firearm but since then has been free of any felony charges. He currently served as vice chair of the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, which works to improve the lives of youth and the justice system that serves them.

Rankin was found dead in a Shawnee neighborhood alley around 3 p.m. Tuesday near his home, close to the intersection of 35th Street and Broadway. A second man was also shot during the incident, and he is expected to survive his injuries, say Louisville Metro Police, who continue to investigate the shootings.

Deaton said he is honored to have worked with Rankin, whom he regarded as one of the most positive people he knows.

"He had so many setbacks," Deaton said. "Through all those setbacks, he never lost hope. He always came at it with a great attitude and that the world was still good and he could make a difference somehow."